Healthcare facilities require preparation and administration of very large numbers of parenteral solutions for patients. Such solutions are administered for both nutritional and therapeutic purposes, and thus efficient liquid-handling systems are required for cost-effective preparation of such solutions, and their administration to patients.
To this end, positive displacement fluid pumping devices have been developed for both preparation and administration of parenteral solutions. Such devices permit precise control during pumping of solutions, thus facilitating solution administration and preparation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,639,245, to Pastrone et al., 4,818,186, to Pastrone et al., and 4,842,584, to Pastrone, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference, disclose a positive displacement fluid infusion pumping device and components thereof, which have met with widespread acceptance by the healthcare industry. This pumping system includes a combination of a pump driver and an associated removable and disposable pump cassette. The pump cassette includes a self-contained positive displacement pump device, which is operated by a reciprocable pump plunger or piston of the associated pump driver. The pump driver includes selectively operable valve actuators, which cooperate with valve mechanisms provided in the pump cassette for accurate and highly automated administration and infusion of parenteral solutions.
Commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/444,459, filed Dec. 1, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,774, discloses a solution pumping system generally-of the above type, including a disposable pump cassette, and an associated pump driver. The system of this application is particularly configured for automatic compounding and preparation of parenteral solutions, for subsequent infusion to a patient. This application is hereby incorporated by reference.
Solution pumping systems of the above type employ preassembled, disposable pump cassettes. Typically, such pump cassettes include a cassette body having juxtaposed front and rear body members, between which is positioned a membrane-like elastomeric diaphragm. The diaphragm cooperates with the front body member to provide valve mechanisms at various inlets and outlets defined by the front body member, with openings in the rear body member exposing the diaphragm for operation of the valve mechanisms by valve actuators of the associated pump driver.
Additionally, the front body member of the cassette defines a pump chamber, which, together with the internal diaphragm, provides the self-contained positive displacement pump of the cassette. The rear body member defines an opening through which a reciprocable pump piston of the associated driver is movable for operating the cassette, whereby liquid can be pumped through the cassette.
During the use of the above type of pumping systems for preparation or administration of parenteral solutions, various tubing sets, containers, clamp mechanisms and the like, are employed for handling and controlling liquid flow. Proper operation of the system requires that liquid is able to flow throughout the various tubing sets, in and out of the various containers, and through the pump cassette itself. Kinking or excessive bending of the tubing material can restrict fluid flow, thus detracting from efficient and accurate operation of the system. Similarly, inadvertent blockage of a container, a container vent, or flow path of the pump cassette can result in improper system operation.
The present invention contemplates a method of operating a solution pumping system which facilitates monitoring occlusions or blockages in the system, with suitable alarms or like devices provided to alert operating personnel of a system occlusion.